electrolyte

Also called electrolytic conductor. a conducting medium in which the flow of current is accompanied by the movement of matter in the form of ions.

any substance that dissociates into ions when dissolved in a suitable medium or melted and thus forms a conductor of electricity.

2.

Physiology. any of certain inorganic compounds, mainly sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and bicarbonate, that dissociate in biological fluids into ions capable of conducting electrical currents and constituting a major force in controlling fluid balance within the body.

A melted or dissolved compound that has broken apart into ions (anions and cations). Applying an electric field across an electrolyte causes the anions and cations to move in opposite directions, thereby conducting electrical current while gradually separating the ions. See also electrodialysis, electrolysis.

Any of these ions found in body fluids. Electrolytes are needed by cells to regulate the flow of water molecules across cell membranes.